GOD’S TIPS TO SUCCESS

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses' aide: "Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites. I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates—all the Hittite country—to the Great Sea on the west. No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.

"Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."

Joshua 1:1-9

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

The Moses era has ended and the Joshua era begins as we begin to study the book named after Israel’s new leader. As Chapter 1 begins, we see the Lord speaking to Moses’ successor saying:

"Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites. I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates—all the Hittite country—to the Great Sea on the west. No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Scripture tells us that Joshua was an aide to Moses so he was very well versed in everything God had done for him. So what an awesome assurance it was for Joshua to hear the Lord say that He would be with Joshua just as He had been with Moses. Joshua had nothing to worry about for no one would be able to stand against him all the days of his life. He knew this because the Lord told him so and His words were truth.

The rest of this passage, from the end of verse 5 through verse 9, offer Joshua further encouragement as he assumes leadership. These words encourage us as well and provide us with success tips for our own lives. Let’s look at these tips:

1. I will never leave you nor forsake you.

God is ever with us…always and forever. If we continue to turn to Him and seek His will and way, He will guide us to always do the right thing…and success will naturally follow. What an awesome assurance to know He will never leave us or forsake us! This liberates us to triumph over any challenges that life might bring.

2. Be strong and courageous. Don’t be terrified or discouraged.

The road to success can be full of difficulties and obstacles…matters that can sap your strength and cause you to question your adequacy to reach your goal and meet the tasks at hand. You may even find yourself terrified and discouraged. How do we deal with these feelings and move past them for success?

Back to number 1. God will never leave us nor forsake us. He has promised us this. Thus, is there anything we can’t make it through? We gain strength and courage only through the strength and courage of God living and abiding in our hearts and souls. We can’t truly succeed on our own. But with God, we can do all things.

3. Be obedient to God’s word.

God tells Joshua in our scripture:

“Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go.”

The key to succeeding wherever we go hinges on our ability to stay on the narrow of path of righteousness and the only way to stay on the path is through an unwavering commitment to obey God’s word. We can’t turn from the path to the right or left. This would only lead us down a path of destruction that will divert us from the success God wants all of us to have. No…we are to not allow His word to depart from our mouths. We are to meditate on His word and be careful to do everything written in it. In return, God will ensure we will be prosperous and successful.

While always staying fully compliant with God’s word might seem like a daunting task, remember numbers 1 and 2. God is always with us and won’t forsake us AND because of this, and only because of this, we can be strong and courageous. Thanks be to God. Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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